Many people in the dog community are not always familiar with Bordetella Bacteria however many dog owners have heard of kennel cough, a very contagious respiratory disease. Bordetella is the most common cause for kennel cough. Primary exposure spots for Bordetella include social canine settings like kennels, doggy-day care and boarding; Hence the term kennel cough. This infects dogs upper respiratory tract causing inflammation leading to fever, runny nose, eyes, sneezing, coughing and lethargy. It is spread through airborne droplets from a sick dog sneezing or coughing. It can also be spread through surfaces such as food and water bowls. This is an approximate canine equivalent to the common cold in people with characteristics that are highly contagious but rarely serious.
Due to the frequency of Bordetella cases in canine social facilities it is typically a requirement for dogs to be vaccinated to attend doggy day-care, boarding and some training classes. There are a range of vaccinations available for Bordetella including oral, intranasal and injections. For the injection vaccine, dogs first receive two doses two to four weeks apart, and then every year onwards if appropriate for your dog’s lifestyle. The oral vaccine is given in a single dose. Both of these vaccine types develop immunity within 48 hours and show protection for 12-14 months. Bordetella is commonly given in a combination vaccine for other respiratory diseases such as: adenovirus, influenza and distemper. These respiratory diseases are also common agents to cause kennel cough.
As discussed in previous vaccine articles, combination vaccines may seem more efficient, but they can increase risks related to over-vaccination for specific diseases. Because some components of combined vaccines such as Bordetella do not yet have a titer test, we cannot determine when revaccination is needed. Due to the limited research on Bordetella immunity,
there is nothing to determine the exact duration of immunity given. Developing a titer test can help with long term analysis of immunity levels to distinguish a dog’s protection, or lack of protection. Similar to other non-core vaccines, even rabies, there is not enough research to back a significant titer test just yet. However, the first study surrounding bordetella immunity was just performed in 2020 by Maya Scott-Garrard.
The study, “Thirteen-month duration of immunity of an oral canine vaccine against challenge with Bordetella bronchiseptica,” tested the immunity of an oral vaccine at 13 months. They compared vaccinated dogs 13 months after oral vaccines, and dogs with no protection. Thirteen of the 17 dogs with no protection had ongoing symptoms for four plus days, with a 76.5 percent infection rate. Dogs who were vaccinated 13 months prior to the exposure had 14 dogs with no symptoms, and three dogs who showed minor symptoms but were only sick for a day and were healthy again within 48 hours. Overall, the oral vaccine showed protection for at least 13 months. However, this article did not compare antibody levels, still giving us a good first step towards determining immunity. After all, at Wise Woofs our goal is to provide you with constant new information so you can better your dogs life.
